Upland near Dorrance, Kansas?

JayhawkZ71

New member
Hey all;

So this is my first post here. Thanks for having me, I'll make this brief, but with a little 'profiling' to go along.

I have been a Colorado resident for just over a decade now, and spent most of my upbringing hunting on my uncle's property up near Paradise Kansas, and my grandfather's land (and/or land of families he knew) around Dorrance. We still have some property out in both places, but I've been disjointed from the "Paradise" side of the family for some years (not begrudgingly...just one of those "the years between" things) and most of our land near Dorrance was sold off absolutely begrudgingly by my grandmother after my grandpa's passing back in 2000. (this would be the acreage just west of the Southwest cemetery and west of the "Dorrance Yacht Club" which my grandmother and I still own...hats off to anyone reading this who knows what that is, ha!).

The point being; I haven't gone upland hunting since my grandfather's passing back in 2000 and I'm really, really itching to do so again. As soon as 3 weeks from now (just dusted off my old upland vest/shooting shirt/pants and thoroughly cleaned and primed my tobacco pipe, as well as putting a full bottle of rye whiskey in the toolbox of the truck in preparation). I have been trap shooting in recent years, but haven't been out to the field. I will likely run up to Paradise on Saturday morning for a quick shoot with the long-displaced 2nd cousins in Paradise but then will bring the whole fam damily back to Dorrance to our house for the night on Saturday. I'd like to get up and at least 'walk some field' around Dorrance but I no longer know where, or who owns what, etc. etc.

I'm basically just looking to see if anyone knows anyone in the immediate Dorrance/Wilson/Bunker Hill area who has land, knows someone who has land, or knows of public land that I could possibly take down a pheasant or two (if my pipe tobacco smell isn't too off-putting or the Schnauzer acts up...or my jacket doesn't fit just so, etc. ) on. I would love to stop by and speak with the land owner first if that's what you/they would prefer, or phone ahead, etc. I'm just looking for some land that I'll likely spend a few hours perusing before going home empty-handed...but I will be carrying a 1950 Marlin 90 and a Kimber 1911 (and a schnauzer that is a surprisingly good bird dog, I think) so...the possibility of a cock or two is there.

Thanks to anyone reading, passing-along, or just bored. Cheers - and happy holidays to you all.

Oh, and if you come up with something...and you know what the Dorrance Yacht Club is, I'd be happy to have a hot (or rocks) rye waiting for you when I get back. There might even be some ribs in the smoker, or a steak on the grill (if I don't get a bird...hint hint) to compliment the beverage.
 
Had to google the yacht club. Still didn’t find it. Plenty of walk in hunting in the area and of course Wilson lake has lots of public also.
 
Ha! My grandpa lived in Hays, but was an avid sailor - he had a motor boat and a few racing sailboats (18' Snipes and an old Lightning) - needed a place to stow them so he and Dorrance's attorney at the time, Ray Cooley, bought the house next to the graveyard and put a sign on the front that said "The Dorrance Yacht Club." Unless you were from Dorrance or knew our family - you probably wouldn't think it was that funny. I never actually though to google it. It is not much more than a "point of reference" for local folk.

That's good to know, I'll map around and see what pops up. Appreciate the response!
 
There is a lot of WIHA in that area. There is still a lot standing crop up there also. Sounds like you have a solid plan at least you'll enjoy the day.
 
I used to have access to a lot of ground in the area. Alas, they put up the windmills and I really haven't been back since. Good luck, I'd be curious to hear how you did.
 
Hey let me know if you are looking for another walker. I live in Great Bend and am always looking for people to hunt with.
 
I used to have access to a lot of ground in the area. Alas, they put up the windmills and I really haven't been back since. Good luck, I'd be curious to hear how you did.

Just curious, what did the windmills have to do with that?
 
All the habitat was destroyed with the windmills going up on the grounds. Roads in and out of pastures, terraces torn up, grassed plowed up or trampled down. So for a few years, there wasn't anything to be done. And it seemed like a windmill is on about every parcel of land out there.

I do have a question - Since you have hunted, or shot a bird under them, what sort of 'hoops' do you have to jump through to gain access to hunt on land that has them? Not trying to sound like a dick, but was curious if you had to go through the windmill company, etc etc. That's what I had heard at the time but that was several years ago.
 
I hunted a piece of ground with windmills a couple of weeks ago and earlier in the season for doves. In fact, during dove season I spent 30 minutes or so sitting on the steps leading up to the tower. The sun was just right and it was shady :)

As far as I know, with respect to permission, it's no different that hunting ground with oil wells and/or tank batteries on it.
 
As far as I know, with respect to permission, it's no different that hunting ground with oil wells and/or tank batteries on it.

Understand that this is ground that I've hunted since I was a kid. In grade school, and on up. In fact, some of these spots were the first spots I've ever hunted and returned year after year to hunt. So, with that being said, when the landowners let the windmills come on their property, obviously, we couldn't hunt on the land anymore. (The years they were being built etc. )
After that, the land wasn't near what it was. As I had described earlier.
Then, in order to hunt on the land, we were told we needed to have -
1. written land owner permission.
2. Then take the permission slip to the windmill company to let them know that we going hunt it.
3. Then we were supposed to let them know when we were going to be there - Just in case something happened to the windmill - They knew who to blame I guess.

With all of that being said, I never went back. Just hunted closer to home.

So, that's why I ask if it's easier to get on there now. Maybe the rules and requirements have changed.
 
Then, in order to hunt on the land, we were told we needed to have -
1. written land owner permission.
2. Then take the permission slip to the windmill company to let them know that we going hunt it.
3. Then we were supposed to let them know when we were going to be there - Just in case something happened to the windmill - They knew who to blame I guess.

Interesting that would be a huge PIA. I probably would have done exactly what you did, especially if the hunting wasn't any good. Perhaps that's something specific to the windmill company's contract with the landowner. I was dove and pheasant hunting with the landowner (well, the landowner's son) and the tenant farmer. Nothing was said about informing the windmill company. In fact, the only mention at all was a vague reference to the lucrative rental payments.
 
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